The potential use of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) as a form of therapy in various diseases has been extensively studied. There is, however, a growing body of evidence that suggests the beneficial properties of MSCs may be exerted through a paracrine effect. Media in which MSCs were cultured were found to be enriched with trophic factors and cytokines secreted by the cells. This has generated numerous studies that utilize the media conditioned by cultured MSCs in various disease models of cardiac, lung and kidney injury as well as many others.
Postpartum-derived cells (PPDCs) and umbilical cord tissue-derived cells (UTCs), like MSCs, were found to secrete significant amounts of trophic factors and cytokines. Thus, stable and scalable processes are needed to manufacture PPDC- and UTC-conditioned media.